Independent Investment Research for Southeast Asia
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Research & analysis on ASEAN investment

Commentary, briefings, and data on investment, regulation, and industry across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Browse the full archive →

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FeaturedGeneral NotesCommentary
The Port of Singapore on the Strait of Malacca — long one of the world's busiest arteries of exchange.

From Spice Routes to Data Routes

Why the AI era may be rewarding strategic geography once again — as data centres cluster around the Singapore–Johor corridor, Southeast Asia's oldest advantage is reasserting itself.

Lim Kheng Swe·15 Jul 2026·4 min read
MalaysiaSingaporeASEAN-wide
FeaturedThe Weekly ReadCommentary
The EU Is Quietly Signing Up Southeast Asia

The EU Is Quietly Signing Up Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian factories become the gateway to the EU — for those who make, not just assemble.

10 Jul 2026·3 min read
IndonesiaASEAN-wideEU
What's NewView all →
The Weekly ReadCommentary
Indonesia–Singapore Deal Adds to Southeast Asia's Local-Currency Push

Indonesia–Singapore Deal Adds to Southeast Asia's Local-Currency Push

A new rupiah–Singapore-dollar settlement framework is the latest piece of a slowly accumulating regional shift toward settling trade in local currencies rather than dollars — within ASEAN and increasingly with China.

3 Sept 2026
IndonesiaSingaporeASEAN-wide
The Weekly ReadCommentary
Indonesia's Commodity Export Overhaul Is Here, and the Competitive Advantage Is Changing

Indonesia's Commodity Export Overhaul Is Here, and the Competitive Advantage Is Changing

From 1 September, Indonesia routes its coal, palm oil and ferronickel exports through a single state company, DSI — a shift that makes price less decisive and rewards scale and reliability.

28 Aug 2026
IndonesiaMining & resourcesAgriculture & food
Data PointsBriefing

Thailand's upgraded 2026 forecast rests on exports

NESDC raised Thailand's 2026 forecast, but the upgrade is almost entirely an export story — domestic demand stays soft.

26 Aug 2026
ThailandMarket entry
Data PointsBriefing

Geothermal Potential Just Became a Procurement Pipeline

Signings at IIGCE 2026 moved three Indonesian geothermal projects to contract stage — the point where EPC and equipment demand begins, though financial close is still to come.

24 Aug 2026
IndonesiaEnergyMarket entry
The Weekly ReadCommentary
Ho Chi Minh City skyline

Foreign Capital Builds the Platform. Vietnam Is Learning Who Funds What Comes Next.

Vietnam's record foreign investment and its US$77 billion bank funding gap are two different kinds of money — and the quieter one, not the FDI headline, is the truer gauge of whether the growth holds.

21 Aug 2026
VietnamManufacturingFinancial services
The Weekly ReadCommentary
Southeast Asia's Data-Centre Boom Was Built on Not Having to Choose. That Is Getting Harder.

Southeast Asia's Data-Centre Boom Was Built on Not Having to Choose. That Is Getting Harder.

As US chip controls move from where a chip sits to who is using it, the advantage in Southeast Asia's data-centre boom shifts toward operators who can show who their customers are — and companies that serve both the American and Chinese systems face the cost of running two of everything.

13 Aug 2026
MalaysiaThailandChina
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The Weekly ReadView all →
Indonesia–Singapore Deal Adds to Southeast Asia's Local-Currency Push
The Weekly Read·3 Sept 2026
Indonesia's Commodity Export Overhaul Is Here, and the Competitive Advantage Is Changing
The Weekly Read·28 Aug 2026
Foreign Capital Builds the Platform. Vietnam Is Learning Who Funds What Comes Next.
The Weekly Read·21 Aug 2026
Southeast Asia's Data-Centre Boom Was Built on Not Having to Choose. That Is Getting Harder.
The Weekly Read·13 Aug 2026
Southeast Asia Sits Between Chinese Capital and American Markets. Two Rulebooks Decide What That Position Is Worth.
The Weekly Read·7 Aug 2026
The Data Centres Came. Now Malaysia Is Making Sure They Leave Something Behind.
The Weekly Read·31 Jul 2026
Data PointsView all →
Thailand's upgraded 2026 forecast rests on exports
Data Points·26 Aug 2026
Geothermal Potential Just Became a Procurement Pipeline
Data Points·24 Aug 2026
Indonesia Is Subsidising the Chemistry It Can Supply
Data Points·12 Aug 2026
Four Jurisdictions Supplied 84% of Vietnam's New FDI — Two Are Booking Hubs
Data Points·11 Aug 2026
Indonesia Keeps Pulling Value Onshore — Now Coal Into Methanol
Data Points·6 Aug 2026
China's Inland Shortcut to ASEAN Just Crossed 500 Billion Yuan
Data Points·5 Aug 2026